2020 Isn't over yet

2020 isn't over yet.

I know this year has been challenging for many people.

We're juggling WAY more than usual.

You've likely been working from home since March. There's a good chance your kids have been home with you this entire time too.

Are you focused on how hard things are?

Are you thinking about all of the fun you're missing out on due to the pandemic?

Or are you trying to make the best of the situation?

I'll be honest, I fell into the this is so hard, this year sucks trap for a bit, but you know I found? First off, I didn't like the person I was becoming. I was stressed out; I was short with my kiddo; my patience was gone. I was tired. And overall, it wasn't pretty. What's the point of sugar-coating things or pretending everything's perfect when it's not? We're all in this together.

I realized early on that this is going to be the way that life is for a while, and while there are parts of it that stink, some great things are coming out of this experience.

I get to spend extra time with my kiddo every.single.day (some days this was a benefit, some days not so much ;) ) But our relationship has deepened a lot over the last six months due to so much extra time.

I quieted myself down and listened to what I wanted for my life and found that I needed to make some changes to the business and how I approached work. I discovered that I want to work fewer hours because I LOVE having that extra time with my son, but more than that, I NEED to have some time for myself. Me time, not laundry time or chore time or anything else. Me time to relax, recharge, figure things out.

How about you? Where are you at right now? Are you in the camp that 2020's just a massive dumpster fire, and you can't wait for it to end, or are you finding things about this new life that you love and want to continue as things begin to return to normal? Do you want to return to the life you were leading in February? Honestly, I don't want everything back the way it was. Our weekends were packed full of events and no downtime. I thought we had time to rest, but I was wrong.

I'm thrilled to be back to work with a more regular schedule, and my son is so happy that mommy isn't his teacher anymore (I feel you, kiddo). However, even with him back in school, I don't want to go back to working every day. I've decided that I'm going to cut back on my work hours for a while so that my life is better balanced. I was able to keep things going on one kid movie a day during quarantine; you bet I can grow on 2-3 days a week.

If you're in the camp that 2020 is awful and needs to come to an end, I'm going to challenge you to think differently about it. 2020 is a year on the calendar, and moving to 2021 on the calendar isn't going to make the pandemic end magically. This is real life for now for all of us, and it probably will be for a while longer.

Look for the joy.

Find the opportunity.

Change your life for the better right now. If you're working a job that you hate or isn't fulfilling you anymore, do you want to continue that in the new year? Maybe it's time to start looking for something new. Companies are hiring. I know we hear it's a terrible economy, but I see friends getting new jobs, building businesses, and having record-breaking years. There is opportunity out there; you have to go for it and make it yours.

I hope you'll join me over the last quarter of the year to see just how much you can do. Let's show 2020, who's boss (it's you), and set yourself up for success in 2021. Whether you're just starting and wanting to be your boss or you've been running your business for a while, and you're ready to take it to the next level, you're in the right place.

This week – your homework is to decide where you're going to focus and where you will spend your energy for the next 90 days. By the end of 2020, what's most important to you to achieve?